PU Invitation Letter: The Ultimate Guide
• People unable to enter China as the Chinese consulate in the country they are currently in doesn’t allow them to apply for the visa - need to obtain a PU Invitation Letter to be able to return.
• Most foreigners (specified below) who want to apply for a visa must hold a PU Letter, which could be considered as an invitation letter released by the local Foreign Affairs Office.
• Only certain specific reasons meet the requirements for applying for a PU Letter, however there are exceptions to these categories. Read on for more information.
• Let us know your questions or remarks in the comments
Q&A
1) What is a PU Invitation Letter (邀请函) ?
The PU letter is an invitation letter issued during the epidemic that an inviting entity needs to receive from the relevant Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) in order to allow the invitee to apply for a visa in their respective country outside of China. The PU Invitation is a general invitation in comparison to the TE invitation, which is a special invitation for trade fairs or higher-level business trips.
Important points:
The visa location on the PU is a fixed location. The invitee must thus determine the visa application location in advance.
The longest stay a PU letter will grant is between 88 - 180 days.
In Beijing some PUs are issued with longest stay 000, this means that the invitee needs to apply for a residence permit within 30 days from the date of entry.
A maximum of 5 dependents can be added to one PU.
The PU must bear the issuing stamp to be valid.
2) How to apply for the PU Letter?
Relevant companies need to apply for it to their local Foreign Affairs website.
3) What is the general process to apply for the PU Letter?
4) How long does the process take?
After documents have been submitted correctly, the review may take anything from 2-6 weeks. Experiences have been very different.
5) What are the types of reasons that meet the requirements for applying for the PU Invitation Letter?
Economic, trade, scientific and technological activities, as well as culture or sports purposes.
The reasons that meet the conditions for applying for the "PU Invitation Letter" are divided into the following categories:
1. Exchange, visit, inspection, etc.;
2. Commercial trade activities;
3. Other special reasons that cannot be rejected
If you don't meet one of these categories, don’t lose hope! There are exceptions to these categories. You should definitely apply if you have special and compelling reasons that might persuade the Foreign Affairs Office.
6) How long does is a PU letter valid?
PU letters are currently valid for 3 months - please apply for your visa, when your work permit notification letter, and the PU Letter are still valid.
7) Which applicants still need to apply for PU invitation letter to enter China?
1. Foreigners who have previously held three types of residence permits (work, personal affairs, reunion), BUT expired before 0 am. on March 28, 2020.
2. Foreigners who have NOT previously held the above three types of residence permits.
8) What do personal affairs mean?
If the purpose of residence permit page states 私人事务 (= private affair), then it's a residence permit for personal matters.
Normally, if you are in China to stay with your family or start your own business, then the residence permit is of personal matters type.
9) If my residence permit was issued before March 28th and it is still valid, can I come in without a PU Invitation Letter?
You also need to apply for a new visa to come in. Whether or not the PU Invitation Letter is required, depends on the country's embassy or consulate.
10) Do I need to obtain a PU Letter if my residence permit is still valid?
According to the latest policy announced on 23rd September, foreigners who hold a valid residence permit can enter China without additional documents.
11) Can I apply for a visa directly without a PU Invitation Letter for visas issued after March 28th?
European citizens or Green channel countries who have vaild residence DO NOT need PU invitation letters. Other citizens should ask their embassies and consulates for details.
12) If I am overseas now and do not hold any residence permit or only hold other types of visa, how can I return to China?
First of all, you need to have an employer from a Chinese company, and then apply for a work permit first. After you get the work permit notification letter, you can use it as one of the materials to apply for the PU Invitation letter from the Foreign Affairs Office. After getting the PU Invitation Letter, apply for a Z visa from the Chinese embassy and consulate abroad.
13) Are there any restrictions on countries? Can foreigners of any nationality apply for the PU Invitation Letter?
Yes, you can apply without any restrictions, but the approval result depends on the Foreign Affairs Office.
14) At present, can foreign staff and their family members directly apply for entry visas at Local Chinese embassy or consulate after they receive the notification letter of work permit?
No, they cannot. After obtaining the notification letter of work permit, foreign staff and his family members shall apply for a PU letter from the local competent foreign affairs Administration within China by their working unit.
(Except for South Koreans, according to the facilitation measures for personnel exchanges between China and South Korea, South Koreans can apply for such work visa at the local Chinese embassy and consulate without providing PU letters).
15) If a foreign expat has a valid multiple-entry visa issued by the overseas Chinese embassy,and then directly use it to enter China?
No, he cannot. This "Multiple-entry Visa" issued by overseas Chinese embassy is different from "residence permit". "Residence permit" is a kind of residence certificate with multiple entries issued by the local exit and entry administration in China after foreign expat entering China with the relevant visa.
16) Can I apply for the work permit notification letter and the PU Letter at the same time?
Yes, you can. But the Foreign Affairs office will only start processing the PU Letter after the visa office has received the work permit notification letter. But before submitting the documents, you should submit the online application first.
17) Is there an urgent service?
If you need urgent service, please inform the visa officer when submitting your visa. As long as you have a valid reason, the visa officer will usually be able to meet your requirements, but this will require you to pay an additional fee at the time of collection.
18) Which documents are needed for the application process?
1. An application in writing by employer (template provided by the FAO)
2. The application form (template provided by the FAO)
3. Information Form (template provided by the FAO):
a) Inviting entity’s name (Chinese), address, name/ contact number
b) Applicant name, nationality, passport number, date of birth, visa processing place, job description
c) Proposed date of entry
d) Length of stay: (up to 180 days)
e) Place of visa application: country + city
f) Place of visit (an additional approval letter from the district FAO is required if the invitee is planning to visit other provinces and cities):
g) Purpose:
business trade/ exchange visit
family members
4. Inviting Entities Information Background Form (template provided by the FAO)
5. Scanned copy of invitee’s passport information page (valid for more than 6 months) & previous Visa pages in China
6. If the foreign family members are invited, the family relationship shall also be submitted (notarized marriage certificate/ birth certificate). details required: name, gender, nationality, passport numbers, visa location, affiliated company and position if applicable. Max. 5 dependents on PU. Please note that in cases where a family needs to be reunited with the working party that never left China, the inviting entity (the working party’s organization), can invite the family back through the PU, following the same steps as mentioned above. It may possibly help to mention that the working party may need to leave China if not reunited with his family which would cause severe losses to the inviting entity. Other compelling reasons may include that the spouse / family member has to look after family in China as the working party has no time to do so or that children need to return to school. After receiving the PU, the family member(s) will then be advised by the overseas Chinese consulate on which visa type to apply for (M / S1 / Q1).
7. If applying for fast track, please indicate in the application and provide closed-loop management scheme.
8. The FAO may request additional documents
Notes:
A) The FAO will guide the inviting entity to improve the application materials.
B) The above materials must be signed and sealed by the person in charge of the invitee’s unit. Also, the job description must be stamped by the official seal of invitee’s unit and have the signature of the legal representative.
C) Inviting entity can be understood as the company and the inviting unit as the employee’s department / relevant inviting department
19) What to pay attention to when applying?
Issues that need attention in the application process include before, during and after the application:
Before applying, pay attention to whether the company's tax returns are normal, whether the company has a bad credit record, whether it is in normal operation, etc.
In the application, pay attention to cooperate with the government departments in a timely manner, this is because if phone calls are not received or materials are not perfect, for example, this will have an effect on the pass rate. Timely follow-up is very important.
After applying for the PU Invitation Letter, the company will inform the applicant in time and the following will be required... flight information, an acid test report within 3-5 days before departure, detailed travel arrangements. Avoid trouble caused by rushed preparation.
The visa location on the PU Invitation Letter obtained is fixed, this means that you must determine your visa application location in advance. For example, if you choose to apply in Paris, France, you cannot go to the Chinese Consulate in Germany after you get the invitation letter.
Foreign Affairs Offices Info
PLEASE NOTE: the implementation of this new policy currently varies from consulate to consulate and should be confirmed before a visa application is submitted.
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